Headlight indicator



Patented UNI STATES. PATENT for-"Pics your:

HEADLIGHT INDICATOR Val J. Roper, South Euclid, Ohio, alcignor to General E New York lectrle Company, a corporation 02 Application October 6,1943, Serial No. 505,211

r l s This invention relates to driving light systems of power vehicles, such as the headlight systems of automobiles or other motor vehicles. An important aim of the inventionis to indicate to a vehicle driver whether his headlights are lighted or not,'giving him preferably a positive warning when he has neglected to switch them on.. Thus the driver is protected against inadvertently driving his car out of a brightly lighted parking The single figure of the drawing is an electric circuit diagram of the power-controlling and driving light systems of a motor vehicle with my invention applied thereto.

The drawing illustrates very diagrammatically features of the usual electrical system of a gasoline-propelled automobile which are important for an understanding ofv my invention. Accordingly, there is shown a (double) source of electrical energy, such as a storage battery B and a generator G, connected in parallel to a power supply circuit In which may include the usual intermediaries (such as an ammeter, a current and voltage regulator, etc., not shown), and is connected to a live contact or switch element It of an ignition switch 8. Besides the live contact ii, a controlled contact I! of switch S is here shown, which is connected to circuit ll of the power-controlling or ignition system Z of the main vehicle-propelling internal combustion gasoline engineor motor M. Another controlled contact I! of switch 8 is also shown, which is commonly connected to accessory circuits about the car (not shown) that are only to be energized when the system Z is energized. The ignition system Z may include the usual features of such a trated nor referred to. j p

' For the purpose of indicating to the driver of v 2 Claims. (01. 177-411) ne'ctable thereto through the foot-selector switch K, the driving-light system D is shown as comprising. headlights H, H (of sealed-beam type, such as commercially-designated PAR 56) whose brighter filaments F, F are connected in parallel to the circuit branch 22 and whose other filaments I, are connected in parallel to the circuit branch 23. The return circuits to the source B, G-

are indicated by ground connections.

As'thus far explained, the'electrical system is one in common use for passenger automobiles.

and has been described onl as a background to facilitate the understanding of my. invention; moreover, various usual features and details of such a system that are not essential to an understanding of my invention have neither been illusthe car whether his driving lights are on, in accordance with my invention, an electrical indicator I, which is represented as of visual, character, and in the form of a low-wattage highresistance incandescentlamp, is connected in a circuit 25 between the controlled ignition switch contact [8 and the driving-light system D at the controlled side of the lighting switch L. It is preferred to connect the indicator circuit 25 to an accessory circuit contact l8, rather than to the ignition circuit contact [8, because in practice the contact I! is more accessible and convenient for the .purpose. An indicator I of much higher resistance than the system Dis suitable, such for system, such as the ignition coil, breaker, and

distributoiynot shown, with leads It to the motor cylinder spark-plugs. The driving-light system D here shown is connectable to a branch of the circuit it through an interposed light switch L,

example as the incandescent electric lamp commerciaily designated #51. The indicator lamp I may be mounted on the instrument panel P of the car dash along with the ignition and lighting switches S, L, and may be made more conspicuous by shining through or upon a glass "Jewel" or other material J prominently located on the dash. This material may be red or of other suitable color, preferably other than green.

With the live contact I! 01' the ignition switch 8 energized from the battery B and the switches S, L both open, as shown, no current flows through the indicator I, so that it does not operate. When the ignition switch-S is closed to energize the ignition system Z preliminary to starting the car, the contact I8 is energized and a, circuit is completed through the indicator I, the circuit 2| and its branch 22 or 28 (according to the position of the selector switch K), and the headlightfllaments '1", F or I, f to ground, thus energizing the indicator I so-that it lights up. Owing to the much higher resistance 0! the lamp I as compared with the driving-light system D and the filaments F, For f, j in parallel,

3 the current flow is insumcient to light up the headlights H. H. Thus the driver is positively and conspicuously warned that his headlights are not on. 7

Closing th switch L to light the headlights H,

H provides a shunting current path of very much lower resistance around the filament of the lamp I, thus shorting out this filament so that the lamp is no longer lighted. As a #51 incandescent lamp I takes only 0.2 amp. current at its rated voltage of 7.5 volts-and has a rated life of 1000 hours at this voltage, the slight ineconomy of the current through it during daytime driving is inconsiderable. It is further to be remarked that with usual light-switching arrangements, the indicator I will be operated even when the small parking I an ignition switch for energizing and deenergizing said ignition system, a headlighting system comprising an incandescent electric headlamp a 4 and an electric indicator lamp connected in series between said ignition switch and said source of energy so that current always flows therethrough when the ignition switch is closed, the

. resistance of said indicator lamp being sufficiently high to prevent sumcient current flow through said headlamp to illuminate it, and a selectively operable lighting switch connected across 'said indicator lamp to shunt it when'said'lighting switch is closed.

2. In combination with a motor vehicle ignition system comprising a source of electric energy and an ignition switch for energizing and deenergizing saidignition system, a headlighting system 25 lighting switch is closed.

comprising an incandescent electric headlampand an incandescent electric indicator lamp connected in series between said ignition switch and said source of energy so that current always flows therethrough when the ignition switch is closed, the resistance of said indicator lamp being sufliciently high to prevent sufflcient current flow through said headlamp to illuminate it, and a selectively operable lighting switch connected across said indicator lamp to shunt it when said VAL J. Roman. 

